Pa. Dems won’t endorse in Senate primary
Lamb doubles Fetterman in vote
After unifying behind one ticket for governor, the Pennsylvania Democratic Committee opted to sit out of the high-profile race for U.S. Senate, failing to reach its self-imposed threshold of a two-thirds majority vote but giving U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb a big show of support.
In a meeting Saturday in Harrisburg, a majority of committee members recommended endorsing Mr. Lamb, of Mt. Lebanon, to be their torchbearer ahead of the May primary, but his 169 votes fell short of the required tally to win the body’s backing.
On the committee’s second ballot, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman came in second place with 64 votes — less than half of his Western Pennsylvania competitor’s total — and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, of Philadelphia, rounded out the top three with 42.
Val Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, was dropped from the endorsement after the first ballot, falling under the 15% threshold that was required to continue as a contender for the committee endorsement.
Mr. Lamb told the committee before the vote that Democrats should not underestimate the commitment of the Republican Party to win this seat, held by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, and that Pennsylvanians who care about the right to vote, the survival of Roe v. Wade and the ability to join a union are counting on Democrats to put up a fighter.
“You have a chance today to put fear today into Dr. [Mehmet] Oz, David McCormick and that whole cast of characters, because they don’t want to have to run against me again,” Mr. Lamb said, touting his previous electoral victories and sending a shot at the GOP field, which includes Dr. Oz and Mr. McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, Montgomery County businessman Jeff Bartos and former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands, of Camp Hill, Cumberland County.
A two-thirds majority is a difficult hurdle for candidates in a crowded field, and candidates who do win the committee’s endorsement don’t always win their primaries.
Earlier, the committee unanimously endorsed state Attorney General Josh Shapiro for governor.
Mr. Shapiro, who has been coalescing more and more of the party around his candidacy each day, was the only contender Saturday. This year, the current governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, will finish his second and last term.
Mr. Shapiro picked up another win moments later when his preferred choice for lieutenant governor, State Rep. Austin Davis, of McKeesport, won the committee’s endorsement over State Rep. Brian Sims, of Philadelphia and Montgomery County banker Ray Sosa.
In a speech to the committee that framed the high stakes of the gubernatorial election, Mr. Shapiro said the responsibility isn’t just to win the race, but to meet the moment — a critical time when there’s instability in democracy and in the daily lives of Pennsylvanians.
“I’m going to Harrisburg to build coalitions, to bring people together and get big things done,” Mr. Shapiro said, “but make no mistake, if they come for your reproductive rights, if they come for worker rights, if they come for your civil rights, if they come for your voting rights, I will not hesitate to use my veto pen to protect each and every Pennsylvanian.”
Mr. Davis, who has represented Western Pennsylvania’s 35th Legislative District since 2018 and serves as chair of Allegheny County’s Democratic delegation, urged committee members to form a unified front and send a message that Democrats are organized and ready to win.
“This ticket — the ShapiroDavis ticket — is going to win in November,” Mr. Davis said after he won the endorsement, bringing Mr. Shapiro up to the front of the room to stand by his side.
The Republican field for governor includes Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, of Centre County, and former U.S. Reps. Lou Barletta, of Hazelton; Melissa Hart, of Pittsburgh’s North Hills; State Sen. Doug Mastriano, of Franklin County; and former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain, of Chester County.
Some Democrats worried Saturday that endorsing in the highly competitive Senate primary would unfairly put a thumb on the scale and take away Democrats’ voices at the ballot box.
But a motion to suspend the endorsement failed, and the committee proceeded as planned.
Mr. Fetterman, the former mayor of Braddock, made the case before the endorsement vote that his campaign had garnered unmatched “grassroots enthusiasm,” evidenced by the number of individual donors — 180,000-plus — and his campaign presence in all 67 counties.
Democrats won’t have the “Trump tailwind” at their backs in this next election, Mr. Fetterman argued.
“We’re going to need a different kind of map to win in 2022,” Mr. Fetterman said, touting the success of his 2018 ticket with Mr. Wolf.
After the endorsement meeting, Mr. Lamb cited the fact that 60% of committee members voted for his campaign — “more than double the other candidates,” he noted.
“We will continue to outwork everyone in this race all year long,” Mr. Lamb wrote on Twitter.